Technological developments have had a significant impact on the international health insurance industry. 

New technology allows illnesses to be detected and diagnosed quicker than ever before, so there is less unnecessary testing and less wasted expense for insurers. 

In addition, technology has changed how the insurance industry works. It is moving from a paper based industry to a digital platform. This adds extra pressure for international health insurance brokers because online comparison sites allow users to compare complex policies more simply.

With so many demands placed on an expat, having a broker arrange the best international health insurance can be a valuable time and money saver.

Here are some tips for improving your customers’ experience in 2019:

If your brokerage has been catering to expats for more than 10 years, it is likely the profile of your audience has changed significantly. Once, most expats were senior management (often male) from multinational organisations sent on assignment for a fixed period to set up new offices before returning home. The profile and reasons for working abroad as an expat have since changed.

There is a much more diverse group of people working abroad for a variety of different reasons. Digital nomads, people who can work from anywhere in the world with an internet connection, are an emerging market for international health insurance. Their needs may be different to someone working for a corporation. If digital nomads are your target market you should research where they can be found and the biggest challenges they have.

See how your business can help, whether it is answering questions they have on healthcare in a digital nomad forum or providing them with guides to healthcare in a country they may wish to live.

As a minimum, your website should be mobile friendly. Outside of that, do your pages appear when potential customers search for terms related to your product in Google and other search engines? If not, consider getting help from a Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) specialist.

Are you present on social media? Joining a social media platform requires commitment, so only join the platforms where your clients can be found.

Finally, one of the best customer experience tips, to retain your client base and attract new customers is to ask existing customers what they need from you. Survey platforms like Survey Monkey and Google Forms make creating a short questionnaire inexpensive. Ask questions like:

• What could we improve about the service we provide?
• Have you always been able to get answers to your questions quickly?
• Would you recommend us to a friend? Why/why not?

This will provide you with invaluable insight into the needs of your customers.